Lesley Tuchten Ceramics

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Lesley Tuchten Ceramics

I make custom pet ceramics based on the photos of pets you send me.

05/06/2026

You have never seen a garden centre like this. I guarantee it.The in Riebeek West is one of my top 5 favourite places in the whole world.

There are a lot of reasons to visit (indoor baobab, incredible plants, barn owls raising MANY babies in the atrium, Angel the cockatoo, excellent coffee, the list goes on), but Albert the dog is number 1 for me.

Albert lives with his botanical-genius dads next to the garden centre. Often Albert is there sunbathing while Corné and André are off earning enough to keep him in the style to which he has become accustomed.

C&A have a habit of rescuing the BEST dogs. Albert was the first local we got to know when we moved to the valley. He's always waiting at the front doors, whining just a tiny bit so you know he's happy to see you. He will take tiny pieces of bacon very delicately from your fingers. He loves other dogs so they're welcome too.

A few years back a large black dog shambled into the garden centre and curled up asleep next to the plants. He instinctively knew he was safe. Albert welcomed him and very soon he was also part of the family. He had to be on a long session of antibiotics to heal him from multiple strains of biliary. His name is now Charlie.

We don't see Charlie much because the second he got home he was never leaving, but Albert still comes to "work" every day for a tummy scratch and a bit of leftover breakfast.

03/06/2026

This is where I'll be tomorrow evening. Please pop in if you are in the area ❤️

Its just off the main square in Riebeek Kasteel, and the weather should be perfect! I personally dropped off some bottles of , just in case you need any more convincing 😄

31/05/2026

You know when a dog chooses their person... Ezra saw Andrew and that was that.

In 2019 The Husband interrupted my work-day to say there was a shelter closing down and we needed to take one of the senior dogs.

We downed tools and raced off to a whole other town. I kept suggesting the really difficult dogs. The divas. Andrew kept moving towards this big, slow, overweight, black dog. I also knew the second I touched him. He pushed his head into my hand. And I thought I'd found my soul dog.

We got him home and expected our allegedly 12yo labrador mix to last 6 months. But it turned out he had hypothyroidism. He wasn't a senior. He was just really sick and had early onset arthritis. This was the start of school-fees level spending to keep him on his feet.

Also, not my soul dog. He made that VERY clear from day 1. He ADORED The Husband.

It's been 6 and a half years. We have thrown every medical miracle at him and they all worked. Until this weekend.

He was senior sass incarnate. Also the kindest, sweetest dog you'll ever meet. My god he only wanted the seat our other dogs were sitting in. And up until his last moments he was insisting we chuck an innocent dog off their chosen spot.

About a year after we got him he discovered The Couch. That led him to The Bed. Bed was best. It made him so happy.

He only EVER barked when our Maltese mounted him. And it was the deepest bark I've ever heard. I would die of fright until I saw Kenny jamming his privates into Ezra's face.

He knew how to point with his nose to the thing he wanted. He would tell us if he wanted a walk in the fields or the street. Towards the end he only wanted street. And he was known and loved in our little part of Riebeek West. The slow black dog, off leash, peeing on all his favourite spots in the 200m between our house and his turn around spot.

In the last week he would come to my work chair and boop me. Even though I wasn't his favourite. In a sassy way, he wanted a walk. At weird times like 11am.

He had one bad evening. And in true Ezra style he decided it was time to go during After Hours at the vet.

Cont in comments...

28/05/2026

So, back story: The theme of the exhibition is Still Life Revisited. Art Teacher Basil asked us to think outside the box*.

Old Dutch masters would paint still lives of fruit and metal objects for clients as these were signs of wealth in the 1500s.

I set up a box (*only seeing the irony now) with fruit and bay leaves from our garden and the metal beer stein Andrew was given by friends for his 21st. He grew up on the same road as those friends and they're still close today.

Thus: our wealth.

Then for revisited my concept is to show those pieces 3 different ways.

1: my traditional oil pastel style
2: a different style (I chose belle epoque)
3: an even more different style, as fridge magnets that the viewer can manipulate to be part of the still life.

They've gone to the gallery for hanging and we await word from our fearless leader about an opening date. ✨️🥂

27/05/2026

Every senior dog owner knows those hips. And the feral look in their eyes when you bring out chicken.

This commission has really got me. She looks just like my ancient boy Ezra. Her happy dance is the same as his.

We have such a short time left, she already said goodbye ❤️💔

20/05/2026

I'm trying to make a fridge magnet version of my still life for the exhibition called Still Life Revisited at Gallery 7 in Riebeek Kasteel.

Revisited, so I'm revisiting the concept. See? Well Art Teacher Basil liked the idea which is really all that counts.

Hand in is tomorrow. Which means I hope to be done by Monday 🙈. But I still have a few things to finish.

1. This drawing
2. Another drawing that I haven't started
3. The magnets (plus others for individual pieces)
4. Sourcing the metal I will frame for the magnets
5. Painting the metal that I haven't yet sourced
6. Framing.

I also need to make a living somewhere in between this full time hobby 😄

13/05/2026

My personal ick is a weak magnet.

Every time we go somewhere special, The Husband and I buy a magnet. Our fridge is covered in them. But without fail the magnet won't even hold a Post-It, let alone the plumbers biz card or a special photo.

And then we bought a magnet in Zurich. We only bought one (because have you ever tried to finance a trip to Switzerland?), but it was a revelation.

They're called neodymium magnets. You can get them on Takealot (this isn't an ad). They're the only ones I'll use.

But heed my warning: They need to be at least 8mm across or else you'll go mad trying to glue them.

12/05/2026

✨️Lionel, Daisy, Hugo, and Rosie✨️ for Vanessa

Some pups come around more than once. And so it is for Lionel the Frenchie and Daisy the tan and brown mixy-mix.

Vanessa ordered individual sculptures of her kiddos way back and returned for cups, but this time she added Hugo the GSD and Rosie the pitty type mix.

11/05/2026

Art Class Monday: Our fearless leader, Art Teacher Basil, swears this isn't stealing and he knows more about art than I ever will.

This is one step closer in submitting for the next Gallery 7 exhibition in Riebeek Kasteel, which is themed Still Life Revisited.

08/05/2026

Dung beetle bud vase!

Why? Just for fun. Also, bugs are amazing.

Address

9 Piedmont Close
Riebeek-Wes
7306

Telephone

27822113881

Website

http://www.lesleytuchten.co.za/

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